how can I concentrate better when I am reading?

Question

My 11yr old daughter is concerned that she cannot remember sometimes what she has just read.

Answer 1

I had a closed head injury at 26 that gave me the same problem.
This is what I helped me.

After each paragraph, summerize what you have just read in your own words. She might have to do this for every paragraph, then do it for the entire page when she hits the bottom.
Helped me go through college when all the professionals said it would be impossible.
Good Luck

Answer 2

How does she learn best? Some kids move, some listen, some see. I don't think that she is one who learns best by seeing. To take in information better, have her engage more than one sense. Have her read out loud to herself (just the important parts if she is too impatient to read it all out loud). Teach her to write little notes when she reads if she needs to move or feel to learn best. If she really can't get it, have her try reading while moving around her room (walking slowly or just standing and wiggling). Have her take lots of breaks and try to remember what she was reading, taking notes or telling you about it during the break.
Does she have trouble reading stories too, or just the tougher textbook stuff. If she has trouble reading stories, try getting her a tutor or Hooked on Phonics, she may have bad reading habits and isn't reading as much as skimming (she isn't doing it on purpose).
A good way to build reading skill is to read-along with a book on tape. It helps train the brain to absorb the information better.
Though she may feel embarassed, this is a good time to help her learn to help herself. Ask her to meet with her English/Language teacher alone and talk about the problem. This is a skill she will need when she goes to college or when she has a problem at work someday. Asking for help from a teacher or boss is a really important skill.
Good luck

Answer 3

It happens,don't worry.And it's easy to cope with it.Reading lessons is not always so interesting and especially if you have other things on your mind...OK,first of all think over these - Does you daughter have problems(at school,with friends,at home)?If nothing bothers her and she just forgets what she reads about,here is what you and she can do.

1.Don't stay in the same room with her and don't be on her tracks.Just leave her alone to read what she has to read.

2.Tell her to turn off the TV and the music and you turn off everything in the house which makes noice.Noice is really annoying and it makes concentrating difficult.

3.Explain her that before she starts to read something,she has to be rested.If she feels sleepy she won't learn anything.If she wants to listen to music very much but she hasn't finished with reading,explain her she has to do what she needs.If she wants to do something - listen to music,watch a TV show,go to the bathroom,sleep,etc. she has to do it,otherwise she won't concentrate and time spent in front of the lesson will be just lost and the most which will happen is to make her have a headache.But the lesson won't be learnt.

4.Is your home(or her room) cosy enough?Are there interesting things which make her think about them and not about the lesson?Is her bed made?Is there dust in her room?Is the air fresh?Do the noices from the street through the open window bother her?

After all that is done,she should be able to read and think about what she is reading.Good luck!

Answer 4

ive had problems all my life, i have Attention Deffecit Disorder, yet i cope in my own way. My trick is to play a radio in the back ground. For me it has to be playing Mexican Music, This is because it relaxes me but my spainish isnt good enough for it to distract me. Some people like classical, its nice but to long gets old, plus when the announcer says ' that was the 5th movement by..." i focus on that. You can also buy machines that make "white noise" You may want to also try taking her to a specialist in learning disablilities, her school may have one on staff, they might know more techniques.

Answer 5

I have the same problem. After I read a paragraph I summarize it in my head. I also have to talk about what I read out loud and relate it to life. (When I was in college, this drove my husband crazy.) In high school I did my homework right when I got home so I did not forget what was said in schoo.

Answer 6

I gotta be honest with you...some people aren't "readers". Maybe she's alot stronger in (let's just say) math. Cut her some slack on her reading and let her expand her mind in what she's truly good at.